Honorary President
Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Area of Specialisation: Neurobiology of Aging
Email: mktian2007@gmail.com
Awards and Honours:
- Indian National Science Academy Medal for Young Scientists, 1984
- Fellow, National Academy of Medical Sciences, 2019
- Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad, 2007
- Fellow, Indian Academy of Neurosciences, 2005
- Prof SM Marwah Award, Indian Council of Medical Research, 2004
- MS Kanungo Lifetime Achievement Award for Biogerontology, AGI, 2019
- UGC- BSR Faculty fellowship, 2018
- BHU Gold Medal for standing first in the order of merit in M. Sc. (Zoology), 1975
- RK Reddy Memorial Prize for securing highest marks in Biochem spl paper, 1975
- AB Misra Memorial Endowment Award for standing first in M. Sc. (Zoology), 1975
- BHU Young Academics Award, Malviya Memorial Foundation, 1985
- Prof MS Kanungo Oration Award for Biogerontology, AGI, 2012
- Dr BK Anand Oration Award, National Academy of Medical Sciences, 2022
- President, Association of Gerontology (India), 2005 -07
- President, Indian Academy of Neurosciences, 2011 -14
- President, Society for Neurochemistry, India, 2017-22
- Dean, Indian Academy of Neurosciences, 2017 -20
- Member, National Academy of Medical Sciences, 2009
- Member, Executive Committee, International Association of Gerontology & Geriatrics (USA)
Dr. Thakur has trained many generations of graduate, doctoral and post-doctoral students. Under his supervision, 24 students have been awarded PhD and currently two PhD scholars are working. He has been involved in teaching Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to graduate and doctoral students for more than four decades. He was instrumental in establishing a state-of-the-art research laboratory at DBT-Interdisciplinary School of Life Sciences, BHU. He contributed significantly towards developing a multidisciplinary research center and creating a congenial ambience for collaborative research programs involving basic and clinical researchers, particularly for translational research.
He has reviewed several Ph D theses, research projects and manuscripts for different journals. He has served as expert members in several committees constituted by different universities and funding agencies like UGC, DBT, DST, ICMR, NASI and DRDO. (d) He has organized, chaired and delivered several lectures at International and National Symposia, Workshops and Conferences. He served as Chairman (2014-18) and Secretary (2010-14) of Varanasi chapter of NASI. He was Organizing Secretary for 82 nd annual session of NASI in 2012 at Varanasi. He has been associated for a long time with the organization of various activities and training/ awareness programs according to the mandate of the Academy.